Urban Area Growth Review

To ensure that Modesto’s growth is handled in a fiscally responsible manner, the Modesto City Council adopted an Urban Growth Policy on March 25, 1974. One goal of the 1974 Urban Growth Policy was to maintain a three- to five-year supply of vacant residential land for future development.

Measures A and M apply indirectly to the annexation of new territory into the City of Modesto, by requiring that an advisory election of the citizens of Modesto be held prior to extending sewer improvements to new areas with five or more dwelling units. Measure M does not apply to non-residential areas.

Measure A
On March 6, 1979, the voters enacted Measure A, the “Citizens’ Advisory Growth Management Act,” which requires the City Council to hold an advisory vote of the citizens of Modesto prior to extending sewer trunk lines to areas outside of the current sewer service area. Measure A allows Modesto’s citizens to voice their opinions on growth before it happens and ensures that City Council members know the public opinion.

Measure M
On November 4, 1997, the voters enacted Measure M, the “Modesto Citizens’ Advisory Growth Management Act of 1995". The purpose of Measure M is to extend the advisory votes required by Measure A to all sewer improvements and to bring the public’s voice into decisions concerning whether or not to allow urban expansion.
Public advisory elections concerning extending sewer service are typically scheduled every other year in odd-numbered years if City Council determines, through the Urban Growth Review, that the City has an inadequate supply of developable land and that the City’s infrastructure can accommodate additional development.

Modesto Public Advisory Elections Map

Areas that have received support for expansion of development through Public Advisory Elections have not all been planned, developed, or annexed, but each area is expected to eventually annex to the City and be developed. The map link shows all of those areas that have been the subject of a public advisory election and indicates which areas have received both positive and negative votes. The positive or negative result of a public advisory election is not binding upon the City Council, which may choose to either allow or prohibit growth in these areas. Click here to download the Public Advisory Elections Map.